October 03, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 20, 1428

TOKYO, Oct 2: Taiwan number one Lu Yen-Hsun fought off a ferocious challenge from Asian Games gold medallist Danai Udomchoke to move into the Japan Open second round here on Monday.

Lu, ranked 96 in the world, fought back from one set down to win the next two and run out eventual winner 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-1.

Meanwhile, Indian star Sania Mirza, second seed, overwhelmed Japan’s Ayumi Morita by hitting an array of power-packed strokes from the baseline to score a 6-0, 6-4 victory in the women’s singles first round.

The Thai number one needed court-side treatment at 3-4 down in the second set after developing back pain.

But Danai dug deep and broke back to level at 5-5, and then went ahead 7-6 in the tie-breaker – only to see Lu fire a service ace before hitting a forehand winner to level the contest at one-set all.

Danai, ranked 122 in the world, saved two break points in the fourth game of the final set, but Lu took the next to move 3-1 up and never looked back.

It was the first encounter on the ATP tour between the two players after having a 4-4 record in the Challengers and Futures series.

Lu set up a second-round meeting with Asian Games silver medallist and ninth seed Lee Hyung-Taik of South Korea.

Lee received a first-round bye with other top seeds including number one here David Ferrer of Spain, Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, third seed Richard Gasquet of France and Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt of Australia.

The 20-year-old Sania, who reached the semi-finals in her only appearance here two years ago, found herself in trouble facing a couple of service return winners off the Japanese to lose the first game of the second set.

But she broke back in the fourth and eighth games to take a 5-3 lead and, although she failed to serve out for the match in the following game, added another break to finish off the 66-minute match.

Monday’s results (x denotes seeding):

Men’s singles (first round): Lu Yen-hsun (TPE) bt Danai Udomchoke (THA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-1; Ivan Navarro (ESP) bt Robin Haase (NED) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/0); Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-1, 7-6 (9/7); Zack Fleishman (USA) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-1; Paul Capdeville (CHI) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5; Wesley Moodie (RSA) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (10/8).

Women’s singles (first round): Urszula Radwanska (POL) bt Sophie Ferguson (AUS) 6-1, 6-2; Casey Dellacqua (AUS) bt Severine Bremond (FRA) 6-4, 6-0; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Catalina Castano (COL) 6-2, 6-1; Sania Mirza (IND x2) bt Ayumi Morita (JPN) 6-0, 6-4; Klara Zakopalova (CZE) bt Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 6-3, 6-4.

SAFINA FIGHTS BACK

STUTTGART: Russia’s Dinara Safina overcame a ragged start to beat Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 and reach the second round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Monday.

Srebotnik edged a first set that featured five breaks of serve before Safina got her act together.The Russian sped into a 4-0 lead and after levelling the match grabbed an early break in the decider to set up victory in two hours three minutes.

Safina, the world number 17, will go on to play world number one Justine Henin in the second round of the $650,000 indoor hard court tournament.

In the day’s only other match in the main draw Tatiana Golovin overwhelmed German wildcard Martina Mueller 6-1, 6-1.

Monday’s results:

Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Katarina Srebotnik (SLV) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4; Tatiana Golovin (FRA) bt Martina Mueller (GER) 6-1, 6-1.—Agencies